To realize an emergent nuclear system with enhanced safety and high efficiency, this laboratory is performing basic studies on the nuclear characteristics of nuclear systems, which are subject to neutron transport and nuclear reactions. Mainly based on reactor physics experiments using the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA) and the Kyoto University Research Reactor (KUR), the current research subjects of this laboratory are as follows:

Nuclear characteristics of next generation reactors including (a) thorium fueled reactors, (b) reactors for incinerating long-lived radioactive elements, (c) high conversion and high burn-up reactors, (d) high performance research reactors, and so on,

Development of accelerator driven subcritical reactors,

Criticality safety in the nuclear fuel cycle,

Development of innovative experimental techniques for various reactor physics experiments,

Development of detection system for hidden illicit materials by radiation detecting techniques.

Comparison between the measured and calculated reaction rate distribution of indium in an accelerator-driven system constructed in the KUCA A-core. Spallation neutrons generated at a tungsten target bombarded with 100 MeV protons are injected into the system from the left side of the void region in this figure.